Imaginary Numbers and Real Feelings
by GgarfunkelL
Summary: Ruby Rose is transferred up a grade in the middle of the school year, forcing her to into starting her first year in high school. She starts the year off by making a few friends and relying on the protection of her sister, Yang, but that soon proves insufficient as a group of cheerleaders targets her in their bullying scheme. However, one of them seems to have a different interest.
1. Origin Point

Ruby could see her palms sweating and shaking in the mirror. She took a few deep breaths to try and steady herself, but it didn't help. She was convinced that the first thing people at her new school would notice about her would not be her thick-framed, square-ish glasses, nor her baggy crimson-red hoodie that hid her lithe form, not her large bulky headphones constantly blaring her favorite rock music, and not her choppy black bob that faded into red at the tips. No, the only thing people would notice about her were her shaking palms and the fear in her wide silver eyes. She had been trying all morning to find some combination of makeup, hairstyle, or clothing that would somehow make her seem less nervous, but nothing could offset her uneasy demeanor.

"Rubes, you ready?" Her sister asked excitedly from the kitchen downstairs.

"Yeah, Yang, I'm coming." She replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She gave up on trying to fix her anxious appearance and instead took her heavy backpack from her bed and shuffled down the steps to the kitchen where her sister readied them for the school day ahead.

Yang, as always, was about as orderly as a tornado. Her curly, wild mass of long, golden hair was flying about as she moved about the kitchen preparing their lunches, and her purple eyes held a manic sort of excitement. "I'm so proud of you, sis," Yang said, putting various food items into two paper sacks as Ruby watched her statically. "Really, you're amazing. You're just now 15, and you're already going to my school. And for math, no less! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone and brag about you all day…" Ruby's stomach tightened at the thought.

She had just turned 15 a couple of months ago, but today was to be her first day in high school. Since her mother had died when she was a toddler, Ruby had drawn into herself, preferring the company of books and notebooks to others her age, sometimes even to her sister. From that, her incredible gift for math emerged. Throughout elementary school, her teachers sought alternate assignments that were light years ahead of her peers' work to challenge her. By the time she reached the middle of her final year of junior high school, her teachers and father decided she would be better suited in high school. And so, at the start of the second semester, she was transferred to Beacon High with her sister, who was in her junior year. And unlike her thrilled sister and father, she was terrified. "Maybe don't mention the fact that I'm younger? And different?" She requested timidly.

Yang dropped the last of their lunches into the paper sacks and extended one towards her half sister. "Being different isn't bad, Ruby. It's not like anyone is going to pick on you, that doesn't _really_ happen, adults just make too big of a deal out of it." Embarrassed, Ruby accepted her lunch and tried to hide her blush. "Now come on, I'm going to be late."

They packed into Yang's vibrantly yellow Volkswagen Beetle and headed off towards school. All the while, Ruby stared out the window and Yang chattered on about all of the different extracurriculars the school offered, particularly band, in which Yang was a drum major, and how they could help her make new friends. "You're not going to get anyone to like you if you act like that all day." Yang chided, eyeing Ruby with obvious concern.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Maybe I don't _want_ anyone to like me." Yang laughed robustly.

"Of course you do. Just because math has been your only friend since the first grade doesn't mean it always has to be." Although she knew they weren't meant to, Yang's words stung Ruby.

Yang pulled up to the front of the school, and Ruby seized the opportunity to change the subject. "Where are we going first?" She asked her sister.

"Uh, I actually have to get to band practice, that's why we're here early." Yang said, upset with herself for forgetting to tell Ruby her morning plans.

Ruby's heart jumped into her throat "So… you're leaving me here… alone?" She asked, her voice quavering.

Yang sighed. "I'm sorry Rubes, I really wanted to be with you, but I do have to go. Don't worry about it, the school will be empty for a while anyways." Ruby gathered her things and shut the car door, watching as Yang drove off to find a parking space. She hadn't anticipated that she would be taking her first steps in high school without her older sister, and managed to find even more anxiety because of that. She took a deep breath and started up the school steps.

 _Library. I just need to find the library, where I can hide out until class starts._ thought Ruby desperately as she entered the deserted school. The front of the school was a large, two-story rotunda, with a staircase on either side. Ruby's eyes were drawn upward, taking in the new school, until they stopped in horror at the banner hung over the central railing of the second floor: _WELCOME, RUBY!_ Before Ruby could figure out how to respond, she jumped at a loud bang as confetti showered down on her. " _WELCOME, RUBY!"_ Yelled a wide-eyed redhead, fully decked-out in a uniform of the school's white and ice blue.

"Where did you come fro-"

"I'm Nora!" The girl exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air in what Ruby believed to be some sort of display of joy. Ruby noticed two other students standing behind her: A tall, black-haired boy wearing a different sort of Beacon uniform, and a lanky blonde in jeans and a t-shirt for some obscure band. They all seemed at least somewhat older than her, reminding her of her self-consciousness of her height and age. "This is Ren and Jaune," She indicated each boy in turn. "And we're you're official welcome committee!" At the conclusion of her sentence, Ren set off a second party popper while maintaining completely expressionless, while Nora lapsed into a giggle.

Ruby dusted off some of the confetti while eyeing the ragtag welcome wagon warily. "I… wasn't told about any welcome committee." She said, almost as a question. She hadn't meant to be rude, but her new acquaintances had thwarted her plans of finding a place where she could hide alone. If Nora was at all hurt by the snubbing of her enthusiastic greeting, she didn't show it. Jaune, the boy in ripped jeans and a rumpled t-shirt, stepped forward in an attempt to take the lead from his energetic friend.

"Principal Ozpin thought it would be a good idea for you to have someone to show you around, because of your… unique circumstances." Nora bounced up and down slightly while Jaune talked, and Ren remained straight-faced with his hands clasped calmly behind his back. "I get that it's a bit overwhelming, but if you need someone to show you to your classes we're here."

"I should be okay, but could you just tell me where the library is?" Ruby asked in a desperate attempt to shake the crew off with as few social repercussions as possible.

"Jaune can! I have to get to track practice, and Ren has to get to cheer, so I guess we'll see you later!" Nora chirped, then bounced off somewhere in the maze of the school. Ren raised one hand in a wave goodbye, and strode off after Nora. Ruby watched them go, utterly stunned by the bizarre pair.

"Does she have a lower volume setting?" Muttered Ruby, prompting a chuckle from Jaune.

"No, she was actually pretty quiet. She's a bit overwhelming sometimes." He extended his hand and Ruby accepted his handshake.

"Yeah, I'm already a bit… overwhelmed." She admitted.

"Yeah, high school is already hard enough as it is, even without skipping a grade. I'll show you where the library is, and where your classes are as well." Trying to ignore his comment about her grade level, Ruby reluctantly accepted her fate of awkward socialization, letting Jaune guide her through the school.

And so, Jaune pointed out landmarks such as the cafeteria, the pen that was stuck in the ceiling 3 years ago and was still there, the library, and the supposedly haunted water fountain. He also marked the location of her classes on a map clearly drawn by Nora (made obvious by the plethora of doodles of flowers, hearts, and lightning bolts in pink and green pen). Along the way, they made small talk until they settled on the topic of music. Surprisingly, Jaune was interested in the same kind of music as she was, which helped her warm up to him and relax slightly. It helped that he emitted a similar sort of socially incompetent vibe that she did, and seemed pretty relieved to find that Ruby was also a major nerd.

When they finished, students had begun to fill the school and only about 15 minutes remained until the start of class. She and Jaune said their goodbyes and parted after exchanging numbers, and she set off towards her first period, guided by Nora's overly peppy map. Before entering her class, Ruby smiled to herself. She actually had made friends, Yang would be excited when she told her. Maybe high school wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. Magnitude

**Author's Note:** A few people have pointed out that Ruby is 15 while entering the middle of her first year in high school, and that this isn't abnormal for most high schoolers even though she skipped a grade. I realize that the age is off, but I didn't want the age gap between her and the rest of team RWBY (aged 16-17 in this fic, in their junior year) to be too large, as that will serve as an issue for later in the story. Thanks to everyone that's been reading :)

Ruby found a desk in the back corner of her first period classroom and settled down after introducing herself to the teacher. She busied herself with her phone, trying to distract herself from the awkward as the teacher left to refill his coffee. As if they had been waiting for Ruby to be alone, a cluster of three girls entered the room, prompting her to look up.

They wore uniforms similar to Ren's, but with skirts, a deeper V in the neck, and a strip of their midriff exposed, signs that indicated that hey must be cheerleaders. The leader of the three seemed to be a tall girl with long dark hair and piercing amber eyes. She walked with a strut, as if she owned whatever room she entered and that everyone there knew it. Beacon's cheer uniform hugged and accentuated her curves in all the right places, as compared to her more slender teammates accompanying her. The second one was hardly half a step behind the other, as if to challenge her authority. Her white bangs that escaped from her waist-length ponytail fell over her eyes as she looked at her phone, as if to say that she wasn't giving anyone, including her teammates, the honor of her respect. The third trailed behind them, as if she was trying to keep up with them, but just barely falling short. Her olive skin and green hair contrasted sharply with her red eyes, although they were not as intimidating as the leaders'.

The white-haired girl slowed after she entered the room, focusing all of her attention on whatever text she was composing on her scroll. Ruby panicked as the leader of the girls headed straight for her with her lackey in tow. The girl slammed her hand on Ruby's desk, using it to lean in close and stare intensely at Ruby. "You must be new here," She said, more like a statement than any sort of question. There seemed to be some sort of inherent threat behind the words, but Ruby wasn't yet sure what it was. The olive-skinned girl behind her stood with her hands on her hips, as if attempting to punctuate her friend's words with her own attitude.

"Y-yes, I just-"

She interjected Ruby's stuttering with venom, "Then you must have not known that this is my seat." Ruby shook her head violently, terrified by the confrontation, and began to gather her things in her shaking hands. She looked down at her belongings in an attempt to hide the tears quickly forming in her eyes.

"Cinder, you don't need to scare the kid. She didn't know." Came a haughty voice from the other side of the room. The leader swung her head to the white haired girl, angered by her comrade's insubordination. Her attention remained on her phone, making her seem disinterested in the confrontation she had just interrupted. Ruby froze, holding her things, unsure of what to do next. It seemed as if this girl was standing up for her, yet somehow getting her deeper in trouble with their leader, Cinder. The green haired girl stood in front of Ruby with her hands still on her hips, yet her eyes betrayed a hint of apprehension about the oncoming storm.

Cinder sneered at her teammate, "And you don't need to question my choices, Weiss." Instead of the animosity displayed in Cinder's voice when she spoke to Ruby, her voice was sickly sweet, yet betrayed her frustration.

Weiss finished her text and put her scroll in the designer bag slung across one of her shoulders. She looked Cinder in the eyes defiantly and started her sentence with a flip of her ponytail. "I'm not questioning you, I'm just letting you know I think picking on freshmen is beneath the cheer captain of Beacon High." Ruby could have sworn she saw Cinder's long nails etch lines into the wooden desk as her hand tightened in anger at Weiss's condescending tone. She had put extra emphasis on _cheer captain_ in an attempt to mock the position.

"Whatever," Cinder muttered, pushing past both her friend and Ruby and seating herself at the desk under contention. "Just don't sit at my desk again." Her partner recovered from her previous state of fear and pushed past Ruby, mimicking Cinder, sitting down in the desk behind her captain with overly exaggerated confidence. Weiss glanced at Ruby for a brief moment before rolling her eyes and sitting down at another back-row desk on the opposite side of the room.

The momentary flash of eye contact was enough for Ruby to notice Weiss's striking beauty. Her face looked royal, her perfectly curving eyebrows framing elegant eyes that always looked slightly concerned or inconvenienced. Although pale like her own, Weiss's eyes were clear blue, like a cold sky or a frozen pond. Her small nose was situated above plump red lips that curved downwards into a minute frown. The only imperfection was a scar that marred the top of her left eyelid to the beginning of her cheekbone. In anyone else, it would diminish their beauty, but Ruby just felt compelled to stare longer and learn the story behind it.

She was startled out of her starstruck reverie by a flood of students immediately following the bell. Ruby still stood holding her things in the middle of the room, and she remained rooted to the center of the room as the students took up the available seats. Once all other students had taken their seats, Ruby noticed with horror that the only open seat was directly in front of Weiss. The cheerleader ignored Ruby as she sat down, but the girl placed in front of Ruby's new seat turned around with a friendly smile.

"You know Jaune, correct?" She asked, her friendly green eyes lighting up with a smile. Her red hair was so vibrant that it seemed to wash out the blue and white of the Beacon uniform she wore. Ruby noticed that it was similar to Nora's track uniform, yet not identical.

"Yeah, he showed me around school this morning," Ruby replied warily. Still wiping away the half-formed tears from her previous encounter, she reminded herself that associating with the wrong people could easily lead to others coming after her the way the cheerleaders had.

The girl's bright green eyes lit up and her ponytail bounced as she stuck out her hand. "I'm Pyrrha, nice to meet you. I was supposed to be part of the welcome committee with Jaune, Ren, and Nora, but I had some things to do for my team. How do you do?" Pyrrha's voice was kind, like her eyes, yet seemed somewhat formal.

"I'm okay, I guess. My name is Ruby," She answered, warming up to her new classmate. Before they could continue their conversation, the teacher entered the room and began class.

Ruby was able to relax and forget about her earlier troubles when the lesson began. Math was where she shone, and what she understood the most. The lesson was a breeze for her, but not as mind-numbingly easy as her previous middle school classes had been. She had been placed in a junior-level math class, that also held a few seniors. Ruby had held out hope that she might be put in Yang's math class, but she had no such luck.

Her heart sank as the bell rang, forcing her to leave math behind. On her way out the door, Pyrrha waved goodbye to her, then walked off to her next class. Ruby waved back, smiling, but the second Pyrrha was out of sight, she felt someone shoulder past her aggressively. "Oops… I guess you better stay out of my way next time, kid." Cinder sneered as she sent Ruby stumbling into the wall. She strutted away, followed by her friend, who gave Ruby a small chuckle as she tried to imitate Cinder's powerful stride. Ruby cowered, hugging the wall, until the swarm of students in the hallway concealed the cheerleaders from her view.

Just as she was about to head to her next class, Ruby felt a jolt of electricity as a hand lightly brushed her shoulder. "She's just being pissy today, it's not about you. Don't let her get to you." Weiss offered softly with a hint of a smile. And with that, she was off. Ruby couldn't decide if she was more stunned by Weiss's actions or Cinder's. More than that, she couldn't figure why Weiss's made her heart beat faster than when she was being physically threatened.


	3. Bonus Chapter 1: Demotion

**Author's Note: I think I'm going to throw in bonus chapters on occasion, to give more insight into other events going on. Let me know what you think about it.**

The cheers from the crowd mingled with the blowing whistles and the music from the band, coming together to form the adrenaline-pumping soundtrack to a Beacon High football game. The cheerleading team smiled and waved at the audience in the stadium as they walked off the field and towards the locker rooms after their halftime performance. It was the final game of the semester, therefore the biggest. Due to the momentous occasion, the cheer team had pulled out all the stops and performed their biggest routine to excite the crowd as much as possible.

The team entered the locker room, laughing and congratulating each other on a job well done. Weiss Schnee, captain of the team even though she was in her junior year, let her team have a moment to share in their performance. As they all settled down, the gaggle of high schoolers formed around their leader to hear her post-game thoughts. Weiss cleared her throat, then addressed her audience. "We did well tonight, team," She announced, prompting cheers and high-fives around the group. "But, we still need to do better if we want to have a shot at winning the state cheer competition." The enthusiasm died down as Weiss pointed out things for them to work on.

She tried to be as nice as she could when suggesting improvements, but having grown up with an unforgiving and crafty businessman as a father, she always managed to rub a few of her teammates the wrong way with her comments. However, the post-game glow had raised their spirits that night, and her criticisms seemed to bounce right off of them. When she realized, Weiss broke the huddle and decided to let them have the rest of their night in celebration of a good semester.

Halftime was soon over after the band's performance, and the cheerleaders filed out of the locker room to resume pumping up the crowd. Weiss stayed behind to write down notes for improvements in her cheer binder. Some of her teammates had always teased her for taking her role as captain so seriously, but it was her meticulous planning that earned them the title of one of the best teams in the district.

She finished her notes and stowed her notebook in her locker, only to turn around to be confronted by one of her teammates. Weiss jumped, startled by the presence of another person. "Cinder! You scared me, why aren't you on the field?" Weiss asked, chuckling mildly.

Cinder was the lieutenant, Weiss's right-hand-woman, and one of her closest friends. The dark haired girl giggled along with Weiss. "I just wanted to talk to you, but I didn't want to distract from your notebooks. Plus, you're so cute when you're focusing" She said with a wink, leaning up against one of the lockers.

Weiss laughed again, then stepped to the side to try to get around her teammate. "Can it wait, Cind? We need to get back on the field." Without waiting for an answer, she strode ahead, her long white ponytail bouncing behind her.

Before Weiss could pass, Cinder grabbed her wrist in a flash of movement, spinning Weiss around to face her in the process. "No, it can't, it's pretty important." She said, a hint of urgency rising in her voice.

Although she cared for her friend's well-being, anger swelled inside of Weiss at Cinder's assertive move. "I need to be out on the field right now. I'm the captain, and I can't just let the team down like that. I promise we'll talk later." Her retort was calm, yet held a cold edge of authority. She pulled and twisted her wrist in an effort to free it from Cinder's grasp.

To her shock, Cinder held her fast, and Weiss couldn't break away. Their eyes met, Weiss's burning with the intensity of an issued challenge, and Cinder's oddly unreadable. "Cind…" She asked, trying to keep her voice stable and calm. "What's going on? This isn't like you." The question hung in the air for a moment, their gazes locked.

Cinder looked down, unable to handle her younger teammate's piercing eyes. "I… Don't know. I've been feeling… off… lately." She said in a hushed whisper. Weiss's hot anger dissipated into icy fear as she saw tears forming in her friend's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked, a plethora of possible maladies and diseases running through her mind. She lowered her hand as Cinder's grip loosened, and gently touched her friend's shoulder in a gesture of support. "You can tell me anything, you know," Trying to match her voice to Cinder's volume. Her offer hung in the air for a few seconds, Weiss just barely holding Cinder. She raised her amber eyes until they met Weiss's, prompting a smile from the typically cold girl. Despite her collected demeanor, questions and worry whirled through her head.

Before Weiss could react, Cinder lunged at her. Letting go of Weiss's hand completely, she wrapped one slender arm around her friend's waist, and grabbed her face with the other. Within an instant, Cinder had pressed her lips against Weiss's, holding her there. Weiss's mind went blank, and her body took over reactions for her. Her hands fumbled for Cinder's body, and she shoved with all of the force she could muster, breaking their kiss. Cinder stumbled against a locker while Weiss was sent sprawling on the concrete floor of the locker room. As Weiss searched the face of her assailant, she saw an instant of shock and hurt, quickly replaced by magma-hot rage. They both waited, neither one daring to move.

Cinder eventually broke the silence. "Why… do you reject me!?" Her question escaped her lips as a vicious snarl, animosity twisting her face.

It was now Weiss that shed tears, as fear wracked her body. She had not known Cinder was capable of such drastic action, or the intense hatred now shown on her face. "C-cinder I… I don't feel th-that way abo-"

Cinder cut off Weiss's trembling stammer with a roar. "ENOUGH!" She screamed, punctuating her statement by slamming her fist against a closed locker. Weiss flinched and fell silent, still cowering on the hard floor. "I've been _nothing_ but good to you. I even gave up my spot for you! Do you think you would have been captain if _I_ hadn't made it that way?" She let out a crazed laugh, fiery eyes boring into Weiss all the while.

"What do you mean?" She asked from the floor, the implications of Cinder's question not yet sinking into her shocked mind.

The crazed cheerleader stamped her foot as if in a temper tantrum. "I mean that I rigged the votes! I threw it so that _you_ would be captain and _I_ would be lieutenant, so that you'd be grateful and then I could have you!" She was shaking with rage now, and her voice was so loud that Weiss was worried that their teammates could hear them in the stadium. Silence took hold of them again, until Cinder seemed to regain a fraction of her composure. "I don't need a stuck up little bitch like you, anyway." She hissed, venom dripping from her words. "Just you wait, you'll be demoted faster than you thought was possible." Cinder sneered at Weiss, then moved to rejoin their team on the field.

She turned back, as if she wanted to say something more, but only spat on the ground inches away from where Weiss still lay prone. Cinder then strode out onto the field, carrying herself as if nothing had ever happened.


	4. Variable

Due to her unfamiliarity with the school and the actions of the three cheerleaders, Ruby was late to her second period, English. She hung her head and shuffled to an open desk in the back as her teacher, Mr. Oobleck, huffed at her tardiness. The dark-haired girl at the desk beside her didn't raise her yellow eyes from the book she was reading. Ruby didn't mind, but she became more and more curious as class went on, and the girl still didn't set her book down to participate in any of the classwork.

It wasn't long until Mr. Oobleck noticed and furrowed his bushy eyebrows at her. "Blake, while I appreciate your enthusiasm for the subject, I would prefer it if you were actually doing the class assignments." Most of the class giggled, but Blake just calmly nodded and placed her book in her bag, all the while staring at Mr. Oobleck with cool intensity. He gulped and resumed the lesson. For the rest of the class, she followed along with the designated work with no noticeable shift in her aloof demeanor. Ruby struggled to keep up with the reading and lesson, as english was one of her weaker subjects. Class eventually ended, and she exhaustedly packed up her things to go. She noticed Blake rise from her seat and move out of the room with swift grace. Ruby soldiered on to her next classes, feeling mixed apprehension and excitement for the rest of her day.

Ruby's third period art class was a much needed change of pace from the rest of her day. She was slightly relieved to recognize Nora in her class, who waved at her ecstatically and pulled up an empty chair. Ruby spent most of the class period getting to know her better (which basically meant being talked at the whole time) while trying to avoid the paint the energetic ginger was splashing everywhere. After third period, Nora dragged Ruby along with her to lunch, where they sat with Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha. Nora excitedly chattered about the details of her day while everyone unpacked their lunch. When Nora stopped talking to fill her mouth with her lunch (Ruby noted that both Ren and Nora curiously had pancakes for lunch) to inquire about Ruby's day. "Has everything gone well for you so far?" She asked, genuine interest in Ruby's well being on her face.

More comfortable with the group than she had been at the beginning of the day, Ruby decided that it would be best to be honest with them. "Other than being pushed around by some cheerleaders, I've been okay." Ruby wasn't expecting such shock and interest from the group.

"What do you mean? Which ones? What did they look like?" Nora queried in rapid succession, her questions muffled by the bite of pancake still in her mouth. Her eyes were wide and she had leaned over almost half of the table, as if looking closer at Ruby's face could help answer her questions. The others waited with earnest concern on their faces.

"I sat at someone named Cinder's desk in math, and she yelled at me and made me move." Ruby replied. Anger flickered across the group's faces, with Ren's displaying more discomfort than the others.

Pyrrha's face softened and she placed her hand over Ruby's. "Ruby, next time you should tell me. Cinder, Weiss, and Emerald are just a bunch of bullies-"

Ruby cut Pyrrha off, feeling the need to defend Weiss, although she couldn't say why. "No, Weiss actually stood up for me, and apologized for Cinder when she shoved me after class." Pyrrha looked puzzled, and Nora was still frozen half over the table, eyes flicking between the other four students at the table.

Surprisingly, Jaune just laughed. "Ice Queen defended you? I didn't know you were so funny, Ruby." Despite his sunny demeanor, Ruby sensed an edge of angered sarcasm in his voice. She was further puzzled by Pyrrha's reaction to his comment, she seemed to withdraw into herself and fell silent.

Sensing the tension created by the situation, Ren attempted to diffuse the situation with his consistent level-headedness. "I think what they're trying to say is that most cheerleaders aren't always kind, but you have friends now that understand what you're going through." Both Ruby and Pyrrha shot him a grateful look, though Jaune continued to sulk.

The rest of lunch continued more smoothly, and everyone at the table pointedly avoided the previous subject of contention. Ruby found herself relaxing and opening up to the group more. Between Nora's antics and energy, Pyrrha's warm-hearted kindness, Ren's quiet calm, and Jaune being a nerd, Ruby felt welcomed and excited to count them all as new friends. Despite having found her bullies, she felt that she had gone even in finding even more friends.

The rest of the day seemed like a blur, as none of it was nearly as eventful as the first half had been. Her other two classes for the day went by smoothly, though none of them held any familiar faces. Ruby was pleased with herself, as she had only struggled in English, and managed to keep up with the rest of her classes. She was also pleased with her new friends, because she had never done well in social situations. When the day ended, she hunted down Yang's car in the parking lot.

"Hey, sis, how was your day?" Yang asked excitedly as Ruby buckled herself in, eager for her sister's response.

"It actually went well. I made some friends, surprisingly." She responded smugly, awaiting Yang's shocked and pleased reply. Ruby told her about the people she had met, conveniently leaving out the fact that Cinder had confronted her.

Yang laughed as she sped towards their home. "Sounds like you found your own little niche of nerds. I'm relieved that you have some people to look out for you when I can't."

Ruby gripped the sides of the car and chuckled nervously in response while the car tires screeched around a turn. "I don't need you always looking after me, sis." She pointed out.

Yang sobered for just a moment. "Sometimes, we all need someone to look after us." Before Ruby could ponder Yang's cryptic statement, she was back to her sunny demeanor and they chattered about Ruby's day for the whole ride home.


End file.
